Author: KRDO

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A family in the Cimarron Hills area of Colorado Springs said they recognized the man arrested in Boulder for the attack on Israeli hostage protestors as their neighbor.

A man reportedly set people on fire on Sunday, leaving multiple people hurt as people gathered for a demonstration in support of the Israeli hostages.

The neighbors wanted their names to be anonymous, but the mother said a man living at the apartment complex investigated by the FBI Sunday night introduced himself to her as “Mohammed” when they moved in two years ago. The FBI said their suspect in custody is a man named Mohammed Soliman.

According to Stephen Miller, who is serving as White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor, the suspect was living in the country illegally on an overstayed visa. Miller said he was granted a tourist visa under the Biden Administration.

“This is scary. I’m going to be honest, this is scary,” the woman said. “Especially the times that we live in. You see someone’s car pull up, and you don’t know who is who.”

The mother’s young daughter said she went next door to play with the man’s children on a regular basis. She said she was going over to do the same Saturday, a day before the attack, when she said the whole family piled into their SUV in a rush, ignoring her as she walked over to their door.

“My mom asked me if they waved or not, and they didn’t because the dad was driving, and he was rushing,” she said.

“You saw the dad driving on Saturday?” KRDO13’s Bradley Davis asked.

“Yes.”

“Did he look like the picture of the man you saw who got arrested?”

“Yes.”

She also said she saw the dad, introduced to them as Soliman, walking out of the apartment with a large black bag and a yellow long-nosed lighter shortly before leaving.

Both said they heard the FBI investigators when they came to their street on Sunday. The mother said the agents started further up the street and assumed it was about someone she didn’t know until she heard them close in on their neighbor’s home.

“You heard them yell out the address, and that’s when we knew,” she said.

The daughter said she heard a loud banging and believes it was the FBI agents entering the home. Both said they did not see any of the family members during the whole process. They said all the family’s cars are gone from the street and driveway.

The woman said the FBI did not contact them to ask about Soliman or the family. She said they have eaten together, and they always seemed like a normal, neighborly family.

The FBI said it was investigating the home in Cimarron Hills in connection with what the agency is calling a terror attack in Boulder. According to his criminal complaint, he lived there with his wife and five kids.

Law enforcement officials said there are now 8 victims in the attack, where Soliman allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower to burn the Israeli hostage protestors.

Editor’s note: Previous information from the FBI spelled the suspect’s name as “Mohamed.” The criminal complaint spells his name “Mohammed.” Because a criminal complaint is a legal document, KRDO13 is currently reporting that spelling unless other information comes to light.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The four-laned Banning Lewis Parkway (BLP) now has a shorter and more direct route in and out of the growing, sprawling community of Banning Lewis Ranch (BLR) in the city’s northeastern corner.

At 10:30 a.m. Monday, city officials opened BLP’s connection to Woodmen Road, giving residents an option to using the parkway’s west end at Dublin Boulevard.

The parkway was closed several blocks south between Woodmen and Water Meadow Drive; late last week, crews worked on testing and synchronizing traffic signals at the new intersection.

Officials said that the intersection would be partially open during the weekend, with a full opening on Monday morning.

The timing of the new intersection is convenient for residents as construction gears up on an improvement project along Dublin, west of Marksheffel Road; and on the widening of Marksheffel between Dublin south to Barnes Road.

“As BLR has started and developed particularly in proximity to the Woodmen Road area, the only way to really get in and out of that area previously had been Dublin,” Gayle Sturdivant, the city’s deputy director of public works, explained. “Barnes will (eventually) go from BLP to Marksheffel, so there’ll be a third connection there within about a year.”

BLP currently ends to the south at Stetson Hills Boulevard; Stetson Hills doesn’t connect yet to the parkway at Marksheffel to the west, but it appears it likely will in the future.

Dylan and Laura Perry are preparing to move into a house in BLR, and are excited about the new intersection just around the corner from them.

From where we live, it’ll be just straight shots,” said Dylan. “It’s a great way to avoid all of the construction that’s happening around here.”

The Perrys were married nearly two years ago and have two kids.

“This is a perfect, perfect option for taking the kids to school or going to the grocery store,” Laura said. It’ll be so much easier.”

The new intersection has sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and dedicated lanes for traffic turning onto and from BLP; at least two retention ponds have been built to handle additional stormwater runoff.

Workers have also extended the parkway several blocks north of Woodmen, to the Percheron Pony Drive intersection, where there is room for a possible future extension.

A unique aspect of the new BLP/Woodmen intersection is that it was built not by the city, but by two of BLR’s homebuilders — Oakwood Homes and Norwood Development Group.

The importance of BLP increases as more homes continue to be built in and around BLR.

Sturdivant said that developers east of Marksheffel — including BLR — are responsible for building roads there, in accordance with the city’s master transportation plan.

“They’ll be under city maintenance within a couple of years after the two-year warranty period in the development and they pass our inspection,” she said.

Busier roads like BLP may need maintenance in seven to ten years, Sturdivant added, but neighborhood streets with less traffic may not need maintenance for 15 to 25 years.

The question is will the city’s limited street maintenance budget be enough to perform necessary maintenance as roads from new development east of Marksheffel are added; the city’s falling behind in maintenance during past administrations led to voters approving and twice extending the 2C sales tax increase for extra street repaving.

“As our city grows, we would hope that our sales tax base grows in the proportionate amount to really help maintain the additional assets we take on,” Sturdivant said. “But, it is something we always are concerned about — making sure we have the necessary resources. Whether it be personnel, whether it be money to be able to address our infrastructure maintenance needs as growth happens.”

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Michael Logerwell

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) – One motorcyclist is dead, and CO115 is shut down while Colorado State Patrol investigates a fatal crash.

A spokesperson for the Colorado State Patrol tells KRDO13 that the call about a crash in the northbound lanes of CO115 at mile marker 6 first came in just before noon.

There’s no word on how many vehicles were involved, but the State Patrol says at least one motorcycle was involved, and the driver died at the scene of the crash.

The highway is still closed. Drivers in the area should check COTRIP for the latest updates.

The cause of the crash is unknown at this hour; CSP is still investigating the scene.

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Karla Sosa

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)- Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have found the body of a missing boater in Lake Pueblo.

RELATED: Missing boater found dead in Lake Pueblo State Park

CPW officials said that on Friday night, a boat flipped over in the Bogs Creek Cove area. Three people were on the boat, but only 2 made it back on shore. CPW said they believe no one in the group was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. 

Throughout the night and day, crews searched for the victim. 

KRDO13 talked with Larissa Mondragon, who identified her husband, Derrick Lee Vigil, as the missing boater. She said her husband had just picked up fishing as a hobby.

Mondragon said she started to get worried once she stopped hearing from him. 

“He had left the house about 5:30 last night, and the evening. I stopped hearing from him around 6:00, and I just had a really bad feeling that it was just not like him to not check in or say anything,” said Mondragon.

Mondragon told us she needs to be strong for the two daughters her husband leaves behind.

“Really strong man and really good provider, partner. Dad. His babies loved him. They laughed with him.”

Mondragon said they had just returned from a family vacation.

At this hour, no official identification has been made. CPW says they’ll wait for the Pueblo County Coroner to complete their investigation.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – One person is dead after a crash between a car and a motorcyclist near the intersection of Hawk Wind Blvd and Peterson Rd.

Colorado Springs Police say their officers responded to calls of a crash just after 5:20 Saturday evening. Police say the motorcyclist had sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital immediately. The motorcyclist later died at the hospital.

Colorado Springs Police say the Major Crash Team is investigating the incident. Tonight, there’s no word if anyone has been arrested or issued a citation in connection with the crash.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – One adult is in the hospital after three people were pulled from the water at the Waterworks Park in Pueblo.

The Pueblo Fire Department tells KRDO13 that at 1:37 p.m., three people went over Waterworks Park and were thrown from their tube into the water. None of them were wearing life jackets.

It wasn’t the firefighters who pulled the trio from the water, but rather some surfers who were just downstream at the surf wave.

One adult was taken to the hospital for further treatment, the others were treated on scene. The fire department says this is another example showing why you need to wear a life jacket when you go out on any body of water.

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Michael Logerwell

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Campers in Fremont County quickly fled from Cutty’s Resort as a wildfire grew nearby.

Fremont County Emergency Management announced the fire was first reported just before noon on Saturday. Not only was the campground evacuated, but County Road 6 is closed at Highway 50.

The size of the wildfire hasn’t been publicly announced, but the Western Fremont Fire District, which first responded, requested the help of numerous local agencies, including:

Howard Volunteer Fire Department

Fremont County Emergency Management

Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control

DFPC Helitack Cañon City

United States Forest Service

Fremont County Sheriff’s Office

Additional Mutual Aid was requested from Salida and South Arkansas Fire, Deer Mountain Fire Protection District, and Tallahassee Fire Protection District.

However, the weather is creating issues for first responders fighting the fire. Fremont County Emergency Management said air operations have been grounded due to thunderstorms in the area. On the ground, crews working the fire line have also been pulled over lightning and storm conditions.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officials announce they found the missing boater dead in Lake Pueblo.

A CPW spokesperson said it was a long search. The first call came in around 8 p.m. Friday, saying that a boat had overturned. The body wasn’t recovered until after 6 p.m. on Saturday.

CPW tells KRDO13 they will not identify the body and will wait for the Pueblo County Coroner’s Office to complete their investigation.

At this time, officials with CPW believe none of the three men aboard the vessel were wearing life jackets.

Original Report:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officials are actively searching for a missing boater on Lake Pueblo.

In a post on social media, the Southeast region of CPW, which covers Pueblo and Colorado Springs, announced a “recovery operation for a missing boater at Lake Pueblo State Park.”

KRDO13 has a crew on the way to Lake Pueblo State Park and will provide updates later in the day.

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Mackenzie Stafford

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The El Paso County Sheriff is calling on the state for help.

Sheriff Joe Roybal says that the number of inmates that have been sentenced to a Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) prison is exponentially growing at the El Paso County Jail. He blames the state for cutting beds at prisons and paying county jails an insufficient amount per inmate.

The Joint Budget Committee has set an amount of $77.16 that will be paid to each county jail per inmate per day, but Sheriff Roybal says that’s not nearly enough. He says it costs the El Paso County jail $143.18 per inmate each day, resulting in a daily shortfall of $66.02 per person.

“I’m simply asking the state to pay their fair share, and if they can’t, then take them off our hands because they belong to the Department of Corrections. They’ve been sentenced to the Department of Corrections,” Roybal said. “Quit using local governments as a cost-saving measure and housing their inmates in our jails.”

On Friday, Roybal said the El Paso County Jail held 137 people who had been sentenced to go to a CDOC facility. He said that the year so far to date has cost El Paso County taxpayers over half a million dollars.

Other sheriffs in southern Colorado say the issue’s not exclusive to the El Paso County Jail.

As of Friday, May 30, the Pueblo County Jail has 26 inmates they are housing who are sentenced to go to a CDOC prison. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) says it costs $85.98 per inmate daily, but the state only provides them the same mandated rate of $77.16, leaving a daily shortfall of $8.82 per inmate.

The Fremont County Sheriff, Allen Cooper, tells KRDO13 that as of Friday, they are holding 4 inmates who have been sentenced. He says this number fluctuates often.

Cooper says it costs them roughly $130 a day to house each inmate who has been sentenced to a CDOC prison, leaving them with around $50 left to pay after the state reimbursement.

On Friday, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell did not have the exact number of inmates who had been sentenced to a CDOC prison that were being held at the Teller County Jail, but he said it has been a growing problem and shared his frustrations with KRDO13. He said it costs roughly $120 a day per inmate, leaving them with $40 to pay after the state reimbursement.

Sheriff Mikesell told KRDO13 that once an inmate is sentenced to state prison, county jails are under a court order to hold them until Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) staff can pick them up. However, if there are no available prison beds, inmates remain in county jails longer.

Mikesell says this results in overcrowding, forcing the jail to release some lower-level offenders, like those charged with DUI, to make space for others.

Fremont County Sheriff Cooper and Sheriff Roybal say this is also a disservice to the inmates themselves. They say the services provided to inmates at the county jails are meant for short-term stays of up to 30 days, whereas when an individual is sentenced to go to a CDOC prison, they’re able to access educational services and others.

The state said that they are taking the information they get from the CDOC and their staffers to make the best informed decisions they can.

“The male prison bed included a decrease of 192 minimum security beds and a decrease of 100 minimum beds at Sterling [Correctional Facility],” explained Senator Judy Amabile, a member of the Joint Budget Committee. “But we also increased the medium security beds at private prisons, so we offset some of that by increasing the number of beds that CDOC told us they need. We are also allowing them to open up this C tower for higher security, inmates temporarily, while they work on some upgrades to other prisons. On balance, CDOC’s budget was increased by a little over 1% overall.”

Specifically, the CDOC budget was increased by 1.5% overall. The Joint Budget Committee says this money went towards raises for CDOC employees.

When it comes to the state-mandated $77.16 that gets paid to each county jail per inmate, we asked where that number comes from.

“The Joint Budget Committee doesn’t just pull numbers out of a hat. We do a very thoughtful analysis, and we get information from DOC, from our staffers, and we use that information to make the best decision we can make,” explained Amabile. “And we did do all of this in the context of we have to cut $1.2 billion from our budget.”

Senator Amabile says that it’s also important to consider taking a step back and looking at ways to get people who may not need to be held in prisons out, potentially elderly inmates. She also says this will be considered in the next legislative session.

CDOC tells KRDO13, as of Thursday, May 29, there are 621 people backlogged awaiting transfers to a CDOC facility. CDOC also says it is collaborating with county sheriffs and local jurisdictions to explore solutions, including improving intake processes and enhancing coordination for timely transfers.

At the legislative level, CDOC says it continues to engage with state officials to advocate for resources and policies that can support capacity challenges and address long-term system needs.

The department also released this statement in response to the concerns raised by EPSO.

The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) acknowledges the concerns raised by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office on the growing number of sentenced individuals awaiting transfer to CDOC facilities. CDOC is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people in custody and recognizes the operational and financial challenges.

We value our partnership with El Paso County and all County Sheriffs across Colorado and are actively working to address the systemic factors contributing to inmate backlogs throughout the state. While operating within financial constraints, the CDOC continues to explore opportunities to collaborate with local jurisdictions and state officials to alleviate economic pressures and develop sustainable long-term solutions.

Across the state, the financial cost of housing individuals in custody varies based on location, needs, and resources. CDOC acknowledges the challenges posed by gaps between reimbursement rates and actual expenses, emphasizing the need for collaborative strategies to address these fiscal demands effectively.

Despite recent state budget constraints impacting bed capacity, CDOC continues to explore strategies to manage intake more efficiently and reduce pressures on county facilities. Additionally, we remain committed to working with state officials and the legislature to explore long-term solutions that uphold public safety and fiscal responsibility.

We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with El Paso County and stakeholders across Colorado to address these pressing challenges.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Many victims and community members came to the Dennis Maes Judicial Building expecting a conclusion to the Lorie Arabie saga, as Friday’s hearing was set for plea and sentencing.

But things didn’t go as planned for the defense or the District Attorney’s Office.

The judge swiftly rejected the plea deal and set a trial date in early November. During the late morning hearing, Judge Thomas Flesher said the amount of restitution outlined in the plea deal didn’t match up with the crime Arabie was set to plead guilty to.

The defense council presented the agreement to the court, which would have had Arabie pay back $129,204.50 to an unspecified number of victims while pleading guilty to a count of class 6 felony theft. The judge said that far exceeded the amount associated with the crime Arabie would plead to.

According to Colorado Law, a Class 6 felony theft charge equates to stealing between $2,000 and $5,000.

Judge Flesher cited the massive difference between the charge Arabie was to plead to and the actual amount of restitution she was set to pay back as a reason for denying the plea deal.

Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham attended the hearing and voiced satisfaction with the judge’s decision not to accept the plea.

“The shelter has suffered tremendously from what she did. The victims, the residents, staff, have suffered, and it’s time for her to suffer now,” Graham said.

Dave Tinnell tells KRDO13 he used to work with Arabie at the Pueblo Rescue Mission and still interacts with Arabie’s alleged victims every day.

“I’m just very happy that they put this over to a jury trial, and maybe justice will be served here,” Tinnell said.

To this day, Tinnell says he still works at the rescue mission, even delaying his retirement to keep working with those who say they had money stolen by Arabie and build the rescue mission back up.

KRDO13 Investigates reached out to the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for comment, reacting to the judge’s decision not to accept the plea deal because it was too lenient. A spokesperson said District Attorney Kala Beauvais cannot comment on the case because it is still active.

Court documents show Arabie is charged with Class 5 Felony theft. That crime is outlined as stealing between $5,000 and $20,000. Previously, KRDO13 Investigates had been told by the Pueblo Police Department that Arabie stole more than $15,000.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pueblo shelter manager stole over $15,000 from residents & tried to blame her son, records claim

KRDO13 reached out to Pueblo Police, who said they are not privy to plea negotiations and say the facts of the case have not changed.

We asked Arabie for comment before she went into court this morning, but a member of her entourage said she declined to comment.

Arabie’s trial date is set for November 3. She has entered a not guilty plea.

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